Plain lipid cochleates (FIG. 1) have been described previously. Protein-cochleates or peptide-cochleates have been described heretofore and patented by the instant inventors, as intermediate structures which can be converted to protein-lipid vesicles (proteoliposomes) (FIG. 2) by the addition of calcium chelating agents (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,161 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,488, the disclosures of which expressly are incorporated herein by reference). Freeze-fracture electron micrographs of protein-(cochleates containing Sendai glycoproteins made by the DC method show the rolled up lipid bilayer structures with a "bumpy" surface. Plain phospholipid cochleates are smooth in that type of preparation.
The proteoliposomes resulting from polypeptide-cochleates have been shown to be effective immunogens when administered to animals by intraperitoneal and intramuscular routes of immunization (G. Goodman-Snitkoff, et al., J. Immunol., Vol. 147, p.410 (1991); M. D. Miller, et al., J. Exp. Med., Vol. 176, p. 1739 (1992)). Further, when the glycoproteins of Sendai or influenza virus are reconstituted by that method, the proteoliposomes are effective delivery vehicles for encapsulated proteins and DNA to animals and to cells in culture (R. J. Mannino and S. Gould-Fogerite, Biotechniques, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 682-690 (1988); S. Gould-Fogerite et al., Gene, Vol. 84, p. 429 (1989); M. D. Miller, et al., J. Exp. Med., Vol. 176, p. 1739 (1992))
It would be advantageous to provide a means for stabilizing or preserving biologic molecules in a form that is stable at room temperature, capable of desiccation and is suitable for oral administration. For example, it would be beneficial to have a formulation for stabilizing polynucleotides and which could be used for delivering polynucleotides to a cell. A formulation comprised of drugs, nutrients and flavors would also be beneficial for the stabilization and delivery of the molecules to a cell.